This month CA turns 50 and we are taking the opportunity to celebrate. Alongside the usual array of fascinating archaeological discoveries, we have sprinkled a selection of offerings with an anniversary theme. Our special wraparound cover pays homage to the very first issue, giving a modern and CA 1-style treatment to the excavations at the Over Narrows. Which is your favourite?

For a magazine that regularly chronicles events that played out thousands of years ago, there is a danger that a mere half century might seem a little parochial. Yet 50 years is not only a fair span in human and indeed magazine terms; it is long enough for archaeology to have undergone massive changes as a discipline. I’m not among those who experienced 1967 for themselves – although raiding my parents’ record collection as a teenager made me wish that I had – but through the pages of CA I can see how the archaeological world I took for granted as a student came into being.

This seems like a good moment to pay tribute to Andrew and Wendy Selkirk, for following their dream and working tirelessly to make CA a success. The magazine they created has showcased countless archaeological discoveries and brought much joy to its readers along the way. I joined their ranks as a teenager – at about the same time I started rifling through my parents’ records, funnily enough – and now, thanks to my association with the magazine, I have a wonderful wife and son. It is fair to say that when I filled out my first subscription form I had no idea what I was signing up for!

IN THIS ISSUE:

FEATURES

Half a century of keeping up with the pastAs we celebrate CA’s golden anniversary, we take a look back at how the magazine has charted the happenings in British archaeology over the past 50 years.

CARTIMANDUA’S CAPITAL?

Roman diplomacy and the rise of Stanwick
We examine the remarkable fortified complex at Stanwick, North Yorkshire. Was this stronghold a centre of resistance against Rome in northern England or an aid to the empire’s domination of the area?

THE SECRETS OF SHAKESPEARE’S GRAVE

Separating fact from fiction at Holy Trinity Church
With a famous epitaph cursing anyone who might disturb his remains, Shakespeare’s grave in Stratford-upon-Avon has attracted many visitors as well as tales of graverobbers and stolen bones. We look at the surprising findings of the first archaeological investigation of the Bard’s final resting place.

Exploring Iron Age rituals in the Fens
Excavations on the banks of the Great Ouse in the Cambridgeshire Fens have revealed intriguing new insights into this ancient landscape of mid-river islands and ridges. With human body parts and evidence of bird sacrifice unearthed, what do the finds tell us about the mortuary practices of the area’s Iron Age inhabitants?

CAUGHT KNAPPING

Revealing the secrets of Blick Mead’s Mesolithic toolmakers
An unusually large number of Mesolithic worked flints has been discovered at Blick Mead, near Stonehenge. We find out what the 35,000 struck flints found so far can reveal about the people who made them.

Many thanks for your comment wishing to find out more about Current Archaeology back issues covering excavations on the Isle of Man. We have several relevant back issues that feature this area including issues 99, 110 and 150, covering both Peel Castle and Billown.

These issues are available to purchase from our subscriptions desk and are priced at £5.50 each.

You can telephone us on 020 8819 5580, or alternatively send in a cheque to Current Publishing, Thames Works, London W4 2PD and we can send these out to you.